The View II - or: Melting Sunday
by Tess 4 5
Summary: Here it is. Enjoy the sequel to The View, which you should read first if you not yet have. See how Tommy and Barbara spend the rest of the weekend. M-rated for reasons! Seriously! Please read and review!
1. Good Morning

**Usual notes:** I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC.

I have borrowed the characters from the TV-Show and solely own the ideas of _my _stories and the developments _I've_ let them go through.

Please let me know if I did something terribly wrong (rating, grammar, spelling...). Thanks!

Please read and REVIEW! Or leave a comment or write a PM. I would very much appreciate it!

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><p>.<p>

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><p><strong>Author's notes:<strong> This is the sequel to _The View_, which you should read first if you not yet have. See how Tommy and Barbara spend the rest of the weekend. **M-rated for reasons!** Seriously! I mean it. And don't say I did not warn you! If you know my M-rated stories and do not like them, turn now. Smutty mind is back - though I prefer to call it eroticism.

Thanks in advance for any comment or review you'll leave to this story. Feedback means so much to a writer and I am no exception!

**Enjoy!**

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><p>.<p>

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><p><strong>Good Morning<strong>

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><p><strong>.<strong>

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><p><em>"See you later." she whispered.<em>

_"I'll miss you." Tommy answered and brushed her lips for the last time before Barbara stormed out of his door._

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><p><em>.<em>

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><p>She woke up soaked with sweat and still a bit tired. <em>Had it been a dream?<em> she thought but still could sense his lips on hers.

Barbara had spent the whole night talking with Tommy in his garden, sitting on a bench in a lovely niche between roses. They had shared some wine, some lighthearted banter and some very serious talking. And the looks they had shared turned out to be a mutual longing that ended in a hot relieving kiss in his doorframe at the early morning hour of five o'clock, a lovely breakfast and the promising view of a date for dinner followed.

If anybody could have seen her right in that moment he must have thought she was mad. A happy grin decorated her face while she recalled the night and _especially_ the morning.

After some more moments lethargically spent in her bed she looked at her alarm clock. 11:30 it said. Barbara still had too less sleep after a night without any but could not stay longer under her sheets. Her flat already had reached sauna temperatures and now she was sorry that she had not accepted the offer to sleep in the air conditioned guest room in Tommy's house.

_As if I didn't know where it would have led... us... _Barbara swallowed._ Us? Is it _us_ now?_

Right on time her mobile buzzed with a text message. Lazily she reached for it.

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><p>He had not slept deep and not long either. Every time he dozed off he started to dream about her.<p>

At about ten o'clock Tommy had decided to get up. He had showered and talked to Denton. There would be a woman in this house regularly again from now on, he had said to him, happily beaming. He had told him that he had not really expected it himself but obviously this long night's talk had opened their eyes. It had needed no words that Denton had witnessed the kiss in the door since it had been confirmed by the prepared breakfast in his kitchen. Tommy had smiled into space remembering that relieving encounter in the first hours of this morning.

"May I express my best wishes, Sir?" Denton had offered and then they had talked about the surprise dinner Tommy had promised Barbara.

When he finally could not stop thinking of her every second he decided to check if she would be awake so he sent a text message.

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><p><em>'u still asleep?' <em>He catched himself at the indecent thought of her lying half naked under the sheets._  
><em>

_'not at all  
>only 4h<br>too hot'_

Barbara got up and made herself some coffee. Clad in nothing but a washed out jersey of the London Knights* she leaned at the worktop in her kitchen.

_'your flat or your thoughts?'_ Tommy grinned cheekily and imagined how she would blush what she actually did. She took her time to answer.

_'both'  
><em>

Then Barbara sent a second text._ 'cheeky sod'  
><em>

Having written and edited his answer for the fifth time Tommy wanted to hear her voice. Besides a real conversation would be better than those short texts.

_'u mind if i call u?'_

Barbara _did_ mind. She had just turned on the tap in the shower. And she was not yet ready to actually talk with him.

_'Y'_ was her answer but her shower had been done quickly (after all she wanted their conversation to go on) and she sent a second text before he had answered.

_'no'_

He called her immediately.

"Havers." she said though she already knew that it was Tommy.

"Lynley." he answered in a mock formal tone though it was superfluous.

Then there was silence. Both heard the other one breathing. Both were smiling. Both knew that the other one was smiling too.

"Hiya." she gently said.

"How was your nap?" he asked tenderly.

"Short... Dreamfilled..." _I was dreaming of you._ He sensed her thought.

"Same here." He plonked on his bed. She heard the pillows rustling.

"I already miss you." he admitted.

"Same here." she mimicked him lovingly and hugged one of her sofa cushions.

"Please come over." His voice was hoarse.

Before she could answer she also had to clear her throat.

"I'll be there at two?"

"Two is too late."

"But I have to choose what to wear. You know, I'm a woman-"

"Oh, I _know_..." Tommy stared at the ceiling of his bedroom and very well knew how female Barbara suddenly appeared to him. Barbara blushed after this insinuating remark.

"Two it is. No second sooner." she said and added softer "I need some... time... really..."

Tommy sighed. "As you wish. Two then. But no second later. I'll send you a cab. Be ready at one forty."

"Yes, Sir."

"Barbara?"

"Yes... Tommy?"

He loved to hear her saying his name though there still was an uncertain tremor in her voice.

"I can hardly wait."

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><p>.<p>

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><p>...<p>

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><p>* The London Knights were an English ice hockey team based in London, folded in April 2003.<p> 


	2. Preparations

**Preparations  
><strong>

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><p>.<p>

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><p>After a little snack Barbara took a long refreshing shower and then stopped in front of the mirror above the sink. A blush suddenly ran deep inside and warmed her body and soul. Then a hot thrill of anticipation shot through her abdomen when she realised what she was about to do in that moment - behind the mirror was the blister with her daily pill she was about to take.<p>

_Finally you have a real reason for it, old girl._ she thought while she frowned at the image. Yes, she planned to let it happen. If it all was for this weekend only or for some more weeks or perhaps even a little longer, it did not matter. She craved to take from this man whatever he wished to offer and as long as he wanted. She wanted it all and forever but was not sure if he felt the same for her, or better she was sure that he did not feel the same for her. Nothing so deep. The eighth Earl of Asherton would not likely take his clumsy Sergeant into his life. _Wife._

"How absurd to even think of _that_, Barbara." she muttered and teared open the door of the mirror cabinet. But still, hope dies last. She shook her head to get this absurdity out of her mind.

It took her some time to figure out what to wear but finally she was dressed in one of her new outfits she had bought yesterday when she had been dragged out for shopping with Haddiyah. She tied her hair in her usual ponytail and opened her seldomly used make-up box but closed it again without having applied any of it. After she had put on her sandals she stood in her bathroom again and looked into the mirror for a long time, musing about what is going on at the moment. He can't seriously have fallen for that ungainly small woman, she believed. _Or could he? With those cheekbones and that peakish nose? So, should I put on some make-up or what?_

Barbara was getting frustrated.

"What?" she asked her reflection. "You'll never get rid of your face."

With one more hair clip she pinned her ponytail into some sort of up-do. Afterward she had applied some colour around her eyes and then startled when precisely at one forty the taxi driver knocked at her door. Barbara grabbed her handbag and with an excitedly beating heart she left her flat.

_This is going to be a very interesting day._

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><p>Having talked once more with Denton about his plans for this evening's dinner and having pre-arranged most of it Tommy took a short refreshing shower. Well, that was what he had planned but it took him more time to get her out of his mind and system again. Afterwards he stood in front of the sink and watched his meanwhile very shady face. He could very vividly recall how she touched his cheeks. The memories once again stirred something in his groin that could be interpreted as a prediction for the coming evening. <em>Get a grip!<em> he thought to himself and washed his face. Counting the wrinkles around his eyes he sighed deeply and wondered once more if he was not rushing things with Barbara. Though her response to his kisses had been everything else but restricted. Tommy planned on finding out how far she was willing to go this evening. What _he_ wanted had been coming up very clearly under the pleasurably sparkling water under the shower. He wanted to make love to her for the rest of the weekend.

He stopped to let the wave of tremor in his hands go by before he continued with his shave.

_Well, anyway..._ He also continued musing about Barbara. _We've wasted enough time and we're not the youngest anymore._

His memories wandered back to the ultimate first touch of their lips this morning. How everything in his body screamed a loud and big cheer when he finally had the guts to kiss Barbara. How every fibre and every nerve in him jubilates when Barbara kissed him back with a tenderness and an intensitiy he had never dared to dream of. He thought about his realisation when he was at Howenstow and the substantiation of it when Barbara and he talked the entire night about everything and the world.

_So, it's fast and furious at last. We've had the first kiss this morning, I plan on making this our first night tonight and tomorrow morning I'm going to ask her if she wants to marry me._ His thoughts nearly drowned out the scratches of his razor.

_ She'll be one hell of a Lady Asherton._

He was thinking while he was concentrated on not getting cut but this last thought brought him back to real and his eyes grew wide and he had to stop his shaving once more.

"You're in trouble, Mister!" he said to his reflection with a large grin.

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><p>After getting dressed in dark blue casual trousers and a cream coloured cotton shirt he had been waiting at his window so he saw the taxi arriving. He also saw the discussion Barbara had with the driver before she got out and it made Tommy chuckle because he knew what it had been about. He had paid the ride beforehand.<p>

The taxi had stopped on the other side of the street which Barbara now had to cross so Tommy had all the time to drink in her appearance while he waited in the open door.

Apart from her usual oversized handbag with the shoulder strap across her chest she wore her new sandals and the thin cloth of the light brown greta garbo style trousers wafted around her ankles with every step she made. Its waistband hung not as low as the pants she had on yesterday but still it promised that the slack shirt, which was not long enough to prevent it, would from time to time reveal some of the pale skin of her belly. The wide round collar and low neckline of her emerald green shirt showed not only her collarbones but let the straps of her bra flash into sight with one or the other movement and that fact alone made Tommy swallow.

_Behave, Tommy, you're not a teenager anymore, you should be used to the sight of a bra strap._ But this was entirely different. This was Barbara. Barbara usually was covered up to her neck. _She's dressed that way for my sake._ Tommy swallowed once more.

"Hello." he said low when she had reached the door. Barbara knew that nothing would be like before when she stepped forward. She stood there slightly hesitant, adoring the handsome man standing casually leaned at the doorframe, waiting for her to approach.

_Well, nothing could change back to how it was before _anyway_._ she thought and melted under the look he glanced up to her while he kissed her hand in the old-fashioned manner.

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><p>.<p>

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><p>...<p> 


	3. Afternoon

**Afternoon**

.

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><p>"I'm glad you came." Tommy smiled and turned her hand to kiss the inner side of her wrist.<p>

These gestures made her knees weak. First the old-fashioned kiss on the hand and then this intimate gentleness - both were nothing she had experienced before. _A real gentleman._ she thought. _I wonder if he's as gentle when we..._ she forbid herself to think this to the end but blushed anyway.

His eyes narrowed at the sight of a half inch long silver gecko on a thin chain that seemed to try to hide in her bosom. It hung very low in her cleavage and made Tommy nervous.

"Promise me not to wear something like this at work." He had to struggle to let his voice sound somewhat normal. He wanted nothing but to pull her inside, slam the door shut and shove her against the wall in the corridor.

Barbara snorted amused. "Why that?" and went past him.

_Because I want to make unbridled love to you._

Tommy needed to shake his head to get rid of those thoughts. _Tonight..._

"First - " he said. "I would be too distracted all throughout the day. And second - I'd be entirely jealous. No other man would be able to get his eyes off you and that means I would have to blind all of them."

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><p>Once inside and with the door closed he did what he had thought of. He pressed her against the wall and kissed her properly.<p>

"Tommy!" Barbara moaned when he licked her throat. "What's with the museum?"

Tommy just grunted an answer. He loved to hear her moan his name and wanted to hear it again.

Right in this moment the backdoor snapped and she heard someone walking up the rear stairs so she pushed Tommy away. As deeply as she wanted to go on being enchanted right here, right now, she could not do it as long as she knew Denton around. She blushed and placed her hands on his chest, having her eyes on the hallway.

"Please." she whispered.

_She has to get used to the butler._ Tommy kissed her cheek and composed himself for a few moments.

"One day you have to get used to Denton." he smiled and dragged her into his living room.

He collected some things and they left his house.

"We'll walk there!"

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><p>It turned out to be an entirely pleasurable afternoon.<p>

They spent about 4 hours at some very touristic places of London where they knew that none of their colleagues would eventually show up. The average London local usually did not spend much of his time there, even when their office is as near as the Met actually is to the palace.

The newly united couple managed a twenty minute walk and paid 'a visit to the Queen', like Barbara called the sightseeing at the guard's post at a back entrance of the Buckingham Palace. They bantered next to the poor stoic guard about the Earl of Asherton's position in the line of succession to the English throne. An old and friendly japanese lady shot a photograph of the two standing next to the guard. Before she returned his mobile phone the old lady shot another one when he stole a quick kiss from Barbara, accompanied by the giggling of the group of japanese ladies.

Afterward they had an ice cream in the St. James's Park, then spent an hour in and around the London Eye, but for Barbara's liking there had been too many people. In the early evening they went to the British Museum where, granted by a good friend of his Lordship, they were allowed to stroll around the deserted halls of a side wing an hour longer than the usual visitor. It was absolutely silent and the only sound audible from somewhere far away were the guards and the electric floor polishers.

During this afternoon they did not show many intimacies and the only real sign of their togetherness had been that quick kiss next to the palace's guard and Tommy's arm around her shoulder when they walked. Well, and some sweet moments in the park, when they ate their ice cream and Tommy suddenly needed to taste a tiny bit of her vanilla-cherry scoop, not from her cornet but from her lips. Okay, and after the ride on the big wheel when they had strolled away to some less peopled area that ended somehow in a passionate kissing in a house entrance in a side alley of a street nearby.

Though both had it clearly in their minds the entire day nothing _extraordinarily_ suggestive happened. It was like they had been together in a relationship for years. The awkward restrictions were vanished as if they never had been there.

When the museum's guard politely had put them on inquiry that he wanted to clock off they left the air conditioned premises and stood in front of the building. It was a still very warm evening though it was not as hot as it had been yesterday. The clock said something about 7:30 and the sky was not yet dark.

"Your place or mine?" Tommy cheekily asked.

"I've been promised a fancy dinner, Sir." Barbara answered. "So, if you're not going to weasel out it's the restaurant."

"Oh, _this_ I won't!"

Much to Barbara's surprise the cab Tommy had called brought them back to Belgravia.

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><p>After Tommy had closed the door behind them and had given Barbara a kind kiss in the corridor while he had taken off her handbag he led her straight onto the balcony from where they could overlook his garden.<p>

"My surprise!" Tommy made an inviting gesture.

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><p>In front of the bench between the rosebush a perfect picnic had been laid out.<p>

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><p>.<p>

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><p>...<p> 


	4. Picnic

**Author's note: **Hoping that Cats still has WiFi I decided to post another two chapters.

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><p><strong>Picnic<strong>

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><p>.<p>

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><p>It was divine.<p>

In front of the bench between the rosebush laid a picnic blanket with some cushions spread at the sides. On the bench was a white table cloth with two cups and saucer, two water glasses, two champagne flutes and a cooler, filled with ice cubes and a bottle of champagne with the orange label Barbara only knew from tv shows. The cloth was decorated with some white roses and four or five candle holders which already were lit. At the end of the blanket stood a closed basket. All over the little place rose petals and blossoms were spread.

Barbara let her eyes wander across the garden. Torches were placed here and there and flickered. It was still daylight but in one and a half hours, when it was dark, it would look great.

It already looked incredibly romantic.

Barbara let go of her breath which she did not even know she had held.

"It's perfect." she aspirated and leaned back into Tommy's chest. He surrounded her with his arms from behind.

"A perfect place for a perfect picnic with a perfect lady." he whispered in her ear. His nose was buried in her hair that still smelled so wonderful of vanilla.

Barbara still had to ask how it could have appeared here since he had been out with her the entire day. He possibly could not have prepared it in the morning.

"I have asked my dear butler to do me a great favour: I've sent him on a shopping tour and he collected some items and arranged all this."

"Oh, how noble..." was her sarcastic comment. She had turned her face towards him and raised an eyebrow.

Tommy gave her one of his 'what-do-you-believe-woman?!-looks'. "Do you think I would've cooked myself when we would've been gone to a restaurant?"

He was right but still Barbara realised the difference to when _she_ would have been arranging a picnic. Some things in life could be much more easier with money. And with a butler at hand.

_Who always would be around. Freaky..._ "By the way, where _is_ Mr. Denton?"

"It's simply Denton, he's-"

"Like _Havers_, huh?" Barbara wrinkled her nose which Tommy could not see but very much was sure she did.

Tommy shook his head. "You're incorrigible." he leaned in to give her another kiss but she turned her head away from him.

"Where _is_ he?" she repeated silently. It was an honest question. She might get used to him eventually but not tonight. She wanted this evening, and this night of course, to be perfect, she wanted to have a way of acting freely and that won't work with another person in the background.

"He had just arranged dinner and then he's gone fishing."

Barbara simply nodded. This was odd. _I have to get used to his Butler being around, haven't I?_ She avoided his eyes.

"We're all alone until monday morning." Tommy grinned cheekily. Then he held out an arm and with the other he pushed back the laurel tree. "Shall we?"

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><p>Tommy held her hand helping her to sit down on the blanket. Then he slipped off his soft suede moccasins and fiddled with the bottle until the corc disappeared somewhere in the depth of his garden with a loud plop, which made Barbara nervously giggle, and filled the champagne flutes.<p>

"Well..." he started. "Yesterday morning I absolutely had no idea how entirely great this last weekend of my holidays will develop. I would not at all have thought I'd be sitting here with such a sweet lady, with _you_."

Tommy leaned over and gave her a small kiss on her lips.

"Don't blush." he whispered.

"Some days ago when my eyes went open I would never have imagined that you and I would work out this, uh, _thing_ _between_ _us_" He winked. "so soon. Here's to us." he raised his glass.

"To a nice surprise." she shyly answered.

They clinked their glasses.

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><p>After a sip and some pensive moments later while both watched the bubbles in their glasses Tommy pulled himself together. If he would not start to turn his mind onto the dinner he assumed that they would not eat at all.<p>

"Right. Let's have a look into that basket. You're hungry?"

"A bit, yes." she admitted and took off her sandals to make herself comfortable on the blanket. Tommy registered it.

"As it happens we've got something to eat in here." Tommy opened the basket and put some boxes, two plates and some cutlery out. He set the blanket, so to say, and poured some still water in the other two glasses. Barbara just watched him and wondered how sweet and neat everything was. Though they had not yet started she already prefered this private picnic instead of some fancy dinner in a posh public restaurant.

Her romantic heart suddenly made another jump.

They started with a segmented box in which there were some olives, pieces of crispy bacon and slices of ciabatta with some sour cream. In a cold thermal box was caviar on eggs and oysters.

Barbara looked a bit disgusted.

"Taste them!" Tommy smiled and offered her an oyster.

"Never!"

His Lordship chuckled at her fervent reply and was rewarded with a playful flap with her pure linen serviette.

"You need to brush your teeth 'n' rinse your mouth _twice and intensely_ before you'll get another kiss. Fishy slime, that!" she said and crunched a piece of bacon. The caviar on an egg-half with a little blob of mayonnaise though were quite tasty, she admitted. They talked casually about sea food and other nourishments they liked or disliked.

Tommy told of the fishing trip he had made a week ago and slowly the conversation drifted into a silent talk about how both had found out during the previous two weeks that they felt more for each other than just collegially friendship, even more than just deep friendship. They confessed that they both had needed some little verbal nudges and wistful glares. His mother even had hit him with some pointed remarks and Winston had made his fun of Barbara several times when he found her again sitting at Tommy's desk without nothing to do at all.

"At some point I had started to have my lunch break all alone. I couldn't bear him any longer."

"That reminds me of the main course of this dinner." Tommy mischievously smiled and unpacked some BLT sandwiches which caused a delighted sigh from Barbara.

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><p>"My favourite." she rejoiced.<p>

"I know." Tommy answered. "Remember, we've spent thousands of lunch breaks together."

"...millions of!" she corrected him with a smile. _Indeed. More time than with anybody else._

With his mouth full of bacon, lettuce, tomato and bread Tommy just beamed his happiness at Barbara._ And there will be millions to follow, and more breakfasts and more dinners..._

Cucumber sandwiches, handy little pieces of grilled chicken breast with a special sweet-salty dip and tiny bits of smoked salmon, wrapped in rice paper and a little bit wasabi cream, perfected the meal. Barbara was particularly surprised by the taste of the wasabi salmon which was totally new to her. She wondered about the amount of tinkering work it would be to roll them. They ate and talked silently about how convenient it was to have a butler who could prepare dinner.

"And clean the house." Barbara added.

"For that matter, there is the cleaning staff."

Tommy threw some empty bowls and boxes in a hamper that stood hidden under the bench.

"Well, then it's just cooking, stuffing the dishwasher and polishing the golden tapware." Barbara glared at him.

"...in my castle." Tommy smiled. "And then he dusts the mile long bookshelves and fluffs up the seat cushion on my throne."

Barbara just waved her serviette and Tommy ducked away laughing.

"Honestly, how many servants do you have?"

"Honestly - one single butler." He slightly shook his head. _What does she think of the _staff_ of an urban household?!_ "The charlady is just hired from a cleaning company."

Barbara rolled her eyes. "Sweet comforts of the rich."

_You'll get used to it._ Tommy thought and grinned that special grin he saves for Barbara when she grouses about _his lot._

"Remind me on wednesday that I need to clean my windows." She dug her teeth in the feta-stuffed dolmades he had just fetched from the basket. In combination with some miniature camemberts, sweet grapes and salty shortbread the dolmades made a fine small third course during which they talked about his rowing career at Eton and her success with the girl's football team of Acton.

"You were playing football?" Tommy asked gobsmacked.

Barbara nodded. "I've even played ice hockey in winter. Crazy modern times, huh?"

"No, it's not _that_. You know!" he searched for the right words. "It's just that I can't imagine you running around in a football jersey, wearing shin pads and slide into the opponent." _Hell, I wish I could slide into _you_!_

Slightly blushing Tommy hoped she would not recognise his sudden naughty thoughts. He was a bit shocked himself having let this thought creep into his mind.

Barbara had not noticed. She chuckled. "You wouldn't believe it but I was a fair player. I did _not_ slide into my opponent. Not on a regular basis. I used to work with foul words."

Now she grinned.

Tommy laughed. He could very well imagine that. Besides he could very well imagine her whispering naughty words into his ear. He shook his head to get rid of the mood he was getting in.

"Why did you stop playing football?"

"Well, the team finally came apart when I was 17. Y'know, in Acton the common hobby of a young girl was havin' a boyfriend 'n' searchin' for another job. You don't have time for football." Barbara sighed. "Apart from the occasional visit in the arena cheering for your boyfriend's team, that is."

Tommy nodded. It was another world she grew up in. They did not need to talk about that again but it stayed a fact.

"Well, that rowing turned to be none of my hobbies anymore in a similar way." He winked. "I started to discover the opposite sex."

Another empty box landed in the hamper under the bench when Barbara failed to ignore the thought of having him above her. The image of Tommy sliding back and forth on a rowing seat with a sweaty bare chest was of no help either.

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><p>.<p>

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><p>...<p> 


	5. Coffee

**Coffee**

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><p>.<p>

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><p>"Coffee?" Tommy asked when it came to dessert.<p>

Meanwhile it had turned night and the garden lay in darkness like yesterday when Barbara had arrived. Except that this time the torches gave a flickering medieval light in the background. The candles on the bench also romantically shined on the blanket in front.

When Barbara looked up into the sky it was lit creamy golden by the city lights of London glowing onto a somewhat misty firmament.

"Coffee? Oh, yes..."

"But I have to warn you. It's no ordinary coff-"

"Say..." she interrupted him with a mockingly ironic smile. "What with this dinner is ordinary anyway?"

"Alright. That's it. Now you need to taste it on your own, I won't tell you what it is." Tommy mockingly frowned and gave her a cup of the dark brew.

It smelled of coffee though something was different. Barbara sniffed and recognised it. "Cinnamon!"

Tommy nodded while he put out some chocolate fingers and placed two on her saucer. She took one and still was sniffing at the liquid.

"Be aware, it's already sweetened."

Barbara took a sip and looked quite pleased but still did not know what it was.

Tommy opened another partitioned box with little cubes of cheese, a few apple wedges and some strawberries, half covered with white chocolate. He took one enormous strawberry and waving it around he explained the contents of the coffee.

"Cinnamon, sugar and coriander. A recipe inspired by a romantic film called Chocolat*."

_Sinfully delicious. Gosh, I know this film._ Barbara quickly took another sip of the hot liquid and then ate the chocolate stick which meanwhile had melted and left her fingers quite chocolatey.

Tommy could not help but stare at her highly irritated while he was absentmindedly biting in his giant juicy strawberry.

_She's totally unaware of what she's doing._ His eyes grew wide when she innocently licked her sweet smudgy fingers.

Barbara was too busy with _just cleaning_ her fingers to recognise his stare. So he thought. In fact she felt his eyes blatantly obvious piercing into her. Finally having finished with her fingers she looked up and smiled.

This was the moment when Tommy felt the juice of the giant fruit he was gnawing at running down his chin. It had been juicier than he had thought. He nervously tried to laugh it off but Barbara had started to wipe it away with her thumb. Immediately he kept totally still. He even did not dare to breathe.

Since there was some juice left she bent over and kissed it away from his throat.

_What am I doing?_ She was shocked by herself and retreated. This intimacy though felt quite good in her own stomach.

Tommy waited if she dared more but she didn't.

_Though nobody would be seeing us here when she'd be going to complete me tonight. _A faint blush crept up his face._  
><em>

"D'you know that this is a blind spot in my garden?" he explained softly. "The only window eying this bench and the blanket is my own living room window."

_We'd be unseen by anyone when he'd take me to perfection here._ Barbara blushed when realisation dawned.

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><p>They stared at each other without any words for some time.<p>

_Oh, hell, I love this man._

_I love her._

_I must be crazy!_

_I need to show her!_

_I want him so badly._

_We're in the blind spot anyway._

_Whatever he wants us to do, I'll go along._

_I wonder if she _would_ let me love her right here on the grass._

_By the tenderness his gaze pours over me he must be able to read my thoughts. _Barbara blushed._  
><em>

_It's in her eyes._

_I want him._

_I want her._

_I'm going to melt away._

His eyes shot to her ear._ Oh, yes, I'd lick her earlobe._

_It feels so good to be eaten by his looks. _She bit her lower lip._  
><em>

His eyes grazed across her throat._ I want to gnaw at her neck. _His jaw muscles tensed._  
><em>

Tommy's eyes narrowed and Barbara sucked in some air into her lungs. Then she saw his hands.

_What the bloody hell is he fidgeting with the whole time?_

He was gently crumbling the rest of the ciabatta into pieces.

Barbara suppressed a chuckle. "Are you done, Tommy?" Her voice was slightly hoarse.

"Done with what?" Tommy croaked. _Hell, I love her saying my name this way._

"With that bread..."

He coughs embarrassed at being caught and popped some cheese into his mouth.

* * *

><p>The intensity in their eyes still was not gone at all.<p>

"You need to taste this!"

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>*<em>Chocolat - Sinfully Delicious<em> - a sensual film with Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench and Alfred Molina I don't own anything of - well worth watching! But beware! You might get an inexplicable appetite for extraordinary chocolates and unusual ingredients for your coffee or tea. ;-)


	6. Green Grass

**Author's notes: **I don't think there is any chance to divide this chapter into two or three. I've written the first version in one go and it then already had nearly 4000 words. It's a long chapter so today you'll get only this one. Take a sip from your wine/water/whatever, lean back and read! Cold shower included - retake guaranteed! Enjoy!

:-)

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><p><strong>Soft Grass<strong>

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>Tommy offered her a cube of that cheese.<p>

Barbara looked in his eyes and lightly put her fingers over his hand. Her heart raced, her face burned red. She felt unbelievably brazen and still slightly uncertain. Then she bit one half of the cheese and chewed it pointedly.

"Delicious." she said. Her eyes which pierced into his were telling him that she did not mean the cheese.

He watched her chewing. Her lips moved delicately and his mind wondered what her tongue might do.

"Take all of it." he smiled and still held his hand to her. His eyes were telling her that he did not mean the cheese.

Barbara took the other half of the cheese into her mouth and placidly sucked it off his fingers. For a split of a second her tongue skimmed around his fingers.

"Barbara!" he croaked. She had touched his innermost desires with this moist gesture.

Barbara smiled innocently but blushed all the while. She had just found out that she loved hearing him saying her name so hoarse - it made her feel sexy. Her usual concerns had been thrown over board anyway, at least since they had that cup of coffee. Despite that she felt a bit embarrassed after all and looked away.

_He must be able to hear my heart beating._

She spotted the apples and wanted to do something equal for him. Even if it promptly turned a little awkward she had to go on with her motion. She took one of the wedges and asked "An apple?"

"Yes." he smiled and paused. "Eve." He kept looking in her eyes but did not bite. Only when her eyes slightly widened in realisation of his innuendo he bent his head and angled the apple from her fingers with his lips. He very deliberately left her fingers wet.

Their eyes still were locked. It was not awkward anymore at all. Instead it had turned very thrilling.

"We've already gone too far, haven't we?" she asked with a low voice and watched him moving closer.

"Not far enough." he smiled and closed the last inch between their lips.

Their eyes were closed now.

* * *

><p>His palm cupped her cheek but she did not back off anyway. They placed a hundred and ten gentle little kisses on each other's mouth without showing the slightest inclination to deepen the contact. However, after a while he teasingly nibbled on her lower lip and she started to slightly bite his upper lip. Then she opened her mouth and he immediately took the offer and slipped inside where their tongues twisted slowly and tentatively. His hand went in the back of her neck. After a moment she moved her arm and found her hand placed on his waist.<p>

Without any intent her other hand fumbled with the tucked-in cloth of his shirt at its hem until she felt his skin under her fingers. The feeling of it built up a heat inside Barbara that certainly did not come from the summer weather.

A passion she hadn't even known existed before suddenly whipped through her body, heating her blood and her skin. Her heart was beating frenzied and she was sure he could feel it in his own chest, because they were so close, because there was so less material and absolutely no space between them.

When Tommy moved his supporting arm he lowered himself on the blanket and his hand in her nape pulled her with him. She now laid half on top of him and his arm was around her waist. She was propped on one elbow. Her other hand raked gently through his hair and played softly with his ear.

Their lips still were connected in a slow and lazy way, leaving their tongues to their cautious yet curious expedition.

After a while his hands shoved up her shirt and softly engulfed her naked waist. Of course it was not enough. He wanted to feel more of her. In fact he wanted to feel _all_. While one hand stayed there the other pushed the cloth higher and let its fingertips caress her back.

Barbara shivered under his comfortable touch and Tommy could feel every single goosepimple under his fingers.

Their kiss still was slow and seductive but their encounter had turned decidedly hot.

Her own hands in return had slowly opened the top four buttons of his shirt and now she let her fingers lazily rake through the sparse hair on his chest. When her thumb began to play with his taut peak he gasped. Both suddenly stopped the kiss and stared in each other's eyes.

"Where's this goin'?" Barbara timidly asked.

"I have a vague idea..." Tommy whispered.

They shared another long and gentle kiss, simply pressing their lips against the other's to feel the intimate warmth, to exchange the tender heat, to feel the soft counterpart, to know that this is right.

"Let's just pursue this lead." he then whispered reassuringly.

"What if somebody sees us here?" she asked.

"Nobody will. I told you this is a blind spot."

* * *

><p>He rolled Barbara onto her back, out of the way of the picnic utensils, off from the blanket but both did not care, and quickly got rid of his shirt.<p>

Before Tommy could lay himself down Barbara stopped him by putting her flat hands onto his broad chest. She not only needed to stop him, to slow him down, though she _vaguely_ knew where she _wanted_ this to go, she also enjoyed simply touching it. She raked through his chest hair and watched his reaction when she just let her fingertips lightly tease his areola where she had watched the drop of water running down some twenty-four hours ago. A part of her could not believe what she was doing, still she felt a little bit shy. Another part of her relished every single second of it. She indulged in being caressed and kissed and in returning all these intimacies.

She had discovered that there is a woman inside of DS Havers who very much liked to be the focus of the desires of a man. Sexual desires and emotional ones. For the first time in her life she felt cherished by a man as a whole. Her body and her inner values.

_To hell with those inner values!_

Right at the moment she only wanted to be desired. More amazing than that, and more thrillingly alarming in a very pleasant way, was the discovery that the man in front of her, the man behind the DI Lord Lynley, he truly seemed to _have_ these desires for her.

* * *

><p>Tommy just watched her observing her hands and his chest. She showed an innocent disbelief and at the same time such a feminine certainty glowing under the surface. He never had expected to see something like this on Barbara's face. He simply wanted to kiss her, to let her feel he wanted her, to make her believe he desired her, to show her his adoration, to give her the little drop of assurance she needed to fully let go of her concerns.<p>

He wanted to make love to her in that very moment. Instead he knew he had to go slow, he had to let her find her own speed. She just needed a little push in the right direction. He just needed to give her the right hints and when she starts to move he would be most delighted to follow.

_Or I simply let this flow._

His hip laid pressed against the side of hers and he was propped on his arm. Barbara was not sure if she wanted him to lay down his chest on hers now or if she preferred to play on it. She remembered the drop of water and enjoyed having the chance to follow its previous way with her finger. She stopped above his belly button and looked in his face only to see him smiling at her.

He started to bend down to kiss her but she quickly turned her head to the side.

_Bloody hell, I'm a coward!_ she thought._ I know exactly where this leads and didn't I want it? And still I'm afraid.  
><em>

She swallowed. Then she watched and stroked the tensed muscles of the arm where he was propped on. It felt so good, so entirely good. She observed the play of the tendons under her fingers. She forgot what it had been that she was afraid of and turned her face back to his. She dived deep into his sympathetic eyes that were so full of love and desire.

_And I still want it._

His eyes were darker than ever. He had wanted to kiss her all the time during their picnic and he held himself back. When she had turned her head away he had stopped his motion. He also was not _exactly_ sure that they were doing the right thing. He also was nervous. He knew she was more nervous than him. But it felt so right, so utterly right. And it felt so good to have Barbara in his arms, to feel her body next to his. He wanted to feel her breathing, he wanted to feel her lips on his again, he wanted to taste her, he wanted to hear her heart beat faster, he wanted to hear her.

He wanted her.

When she finally had turned her face back to his he saw the sparkling desire in her eyes fighting with a bundle of fading objections and he knew that they both were in a similar turmoil.

But she allowed him to bend down and kiss her again.

First it was only their lips that gently met. Then his lips breathed kisses on her face wherever he could reach.

She responded in the same manner. When he kissed her throat she got hold of his earlobe and she tickled her tongue around his auricle when he moved his mouth to the side of her neck.

The wonderful feeling that warmed her whole body intensified.

"I'm nervous." she dared to whisper a confession in his ear, then lightly bit his earlobe. She enjoyed grabbing deep into his hair in the back of his head. She enjoyed pulling his head close to her.

"So am I." he whispered in her ear and placed a kiss behind it. "We are risking so much. But it feels so great."

"Hell, yes, it does." Two breaths later and another kiss on the stubbly skin on his cheek she added even quieter "Don't stop."

"I won't."

* * *

><p>After sharing another long and tender kiss Tommy felt adventurous enough to take advantage of the low neckline and explored her cleavage which last night he had adored with just his eyes. Since it was another warm summer night and considering their sultry interactions on the picnic blanket there was this light shimmering coating of sweat again surrounding the little gecko on its silver chain.<p>

_Salty!_ he thought and licked her skin about an inch above her nipples which still were under the cloth of her green shirt. He had wanted to taste her the entire day.

Barbara observed her body reacting with sheer pleasure and still more craving. She suddenly felt the unfamiliar desire to get undressed, to get undressed by him. To feel his skin on hers. Now.

But surely he did not. That would have been too fast. She felt his restraint and appreciated it but she also cursed it. This tardiness was torture, a very pleasant and thrilling torture.

Slowly Tommy caressed her sides and pushed her shirt up just as much as he needed to graze her belly skin with his fingers.

Barbara simply laid there and let him do what pleased him because everything he did pleased _her_.

* * *

><p>She had her eyes closed, then opened them to look into the dark orange sky above them. Just the torches and the candles illuminated the moment. Tommy saw the flickering yellow light reflecting in her eyes while she watched the misty sky. And though no luminaries shone through the canopy of leaves above them something crossed his mind.<p>

"O, thou art fairer than the evening air / Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars." Tommy recited with his lips against her soft belly skin. "Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter / When he appear'd to hapless Semele / More lovely than the monarch of the sky_ / _In wanton Arethusa's azured arms."

He touched her belly button with a soft and lasting kiss. Thereafter he spoke on merely audible.

"And none but thou shalt be my paramour." *

Barbara was choked with emotion and as an outlet of her emotions she sobbed, once, twice, but shed no tears.

It was Tommy who wetted her skin with two or three salty drops which he immediately wiped away gently with his thumbs and with his lips. He was overwhelmed by his own emotions.

Drugged by his caresses and his fondness she closed her eyes again and smiled.

* * *

><p>His fingers meanwhile had found the scar where she once had been shot. After exploring it with his fingertips he soothed it with his tongue and his lips like he already had wanted so much the previous evening.<p>

Then Barbara felt something different on it and looked down. With an expression between sorrowful pain and comforting calmness on his face he caressed the calloused tissue with the soft blossom of a rose, letting light kisses follow the hardened lines afterwards.

"I'm sorry." he breathed and breathed kisses onto the scar.

He was not sorry for the scar, it was not his fault.

He felt sorry for not staying at her bedside the whole time when she had been fighting for her life. He felt sorry that he had felt like it would have been inappropriate to sit there all day and night. He felt sorry that he had not realised _why_ he had not dared to show the world his fear that she might never return. He felt sorry for having not been able to tell her that he was afraid she would never return into his life again. He felt sorry that he had never admitted that he had felt more fear for her life than for his broken marriage. He felt sorry that he had not been the friend she had needed then.

"I'm sorry." he said again and looked up to her face.

A single tear escaped her eye and she stroked his hair. _He should not be sorry._

"No." she answered simply.

She knew it was not his fault.

And she knew he had tried to manage his own life when she had saved the woman's life by taking the bullet. She had seen the stress in his face when she finally was awake again and he had paid a visit to her hospital bed, clearly not knowing if it was the right thing to show up there. She had known he had struggled with his concerns, with his nervous thoughts about what the world might think when he was there and not going after his wife who just had left him. Thoughts she had found funny back then because usually fears of what others may think had been her own fears. She had had touched the other side and in that moment when she was awake again all her former concerns had been so irrelevant, at least for that time.

And she always somehow had felt stronger when he had been weak. It was not superiority she had felt. It was the wish to be strong _for_ _him_. To be strong when _he_ was not. To protect him when _he_ was vulnerable. Seeing him so torn then had been more strengthening than he would ever know, more than she had ever told him, more than she probably would ever tell him.

She touched his cheek with feathery light fingertips and shook her head. He really should not be sorry. Not for her, not for the scar, not for himself.

They have not talked in words but the looks and the gentlenesses they exchanged had spoken volumes.

There was a sudden feeling of a strong connection between them that neither had seen coming twenty-four hours ago.

Tommy shifted up and they kissed again.

* * *

><p>Her disarranged top allowed his skin to touch hers. The rigid hair below his navel scratched over her soft belly skin and made Barbara breathe faster.<p>

When the emotionality again turned into heat his kisses went down her chin and to her neck. She offered her throat freely by tilting her head back.

Their hands roamed the other's body borderless now.

Both wanted the other. Not only kisses or touches. It finally was a quest of the entire body and soul. They both felt the other needed the same, needed to feel skin, needed to be held, needed to connect.

She lifted her upper body to help him pull off her top. Miraculously her bra was shoved away with it so now she laid there with her bare chest in front of him. The feeling of his lips on her breasts, slowly searching for the softest part of them, was tingling. Barbara breathed heavy through wide open nostrils and pressed her lips together. She feared that a single sound would break the spell. She also feared that somebody could hear them. Tommy's neighbours probably had their windows as wide open as he had his.

_We have to move away from the garden._ she briefly thought but was immediately distracted by his mouth softly sucking at her nipple.

It was a gentle suck and had lasted for a second, not more, when he replaced his lips with the soft caresses of his fingers while his lips traced south.

Tommy kissed her belly around her navel and placed the rose blossom in it.

He needed to have both of his hands free for what he intended to do now. They were far too dressed for his liking. He wanted to touch all of her skin. He needed to feel her all over himself so he pulled down her light brown trousers and took her briefs with it in the same movement.

Barbara kept her eyes closed and her arms spread half across the blanket and mostly on the pure cool grass that freshened her back while her front was heated by his touches. She knew of the inevitable, she longed for the inevitable and was torn between her urgent need to continue, her desire to feel him, her want to pulsate with him, her lust for his body and on the other side her mind that told her in its tiny voice to stop or at least to continue in the house.

_Not necessarily in his bedroom..._ she thought when she felt his kisses on her leg.

* * *

><p>As quick as a flash he had pulled his own pants off and now kissed a wet trail from her left knee across her thigh up to her curls where he deeply inhaled.<p>

"Hhhh..." she sighed soundless. The tickles of his nose so close to her center caused a sensuous thrill in her entire body, pulsing from her abdomen and back again, leaving her with shameless wantonness.

"God!" he breathed in disbelief.

Only by the smell that made his hackles raise he could sense that she was aroused as he himself. And though he wanted to bury his nose there he kept himself away from it. _Not yet. We'll leave _this_ for later._

Just his hot breath was wavering over her own steam.**  
><strong>

He placed his hands gently on the inner sides of her thighs and pushed them apart with the slightest pressure. His thumbs caressed her millimeters away from the edges of her center and his strong hands took hold of her thighs. The view of her lying so invitating in front of his lecherous eyes was arousing and her open vulnerability caused him to feel protective and possessive at the same time.

Barbara heavily sucked some air into her lungs to stay calm. The little shots of electricity in her lower body had turned into a steadily buzzing glow. She felt invitingly open to him. The feeling to need protection and the certainty she would get it from Tommy made her open up her legs even more. She wanted to be taken.

"Tommy..." she breathed barely audible.

The rose blossom was carelessly pushed away when Tommy hurried hungry kisses across her belly, her breasts and her cleavage while hovering above her, trying to reach her mouth again, holding his body an inch away from hers, murmuring between the touches how he adored to hear her breathing his name.

A tangible heat radiated between them. It outstripped the summer night's weather considerably. His body still hang above hers waiting for the last little welcoming gesture. She bent her knees so her inner thighs touched his upper legs.

* * *

><p>It was when he kissed her throat when she opened her eyes. Right in that moment a distant light was switched on somewhere and reminded Barbara of the neighbours. It dawned on her that they were not alone in this backyard paradise. She remembered that they were still in the garden behind his house. There were other gardens and windows.<p>

And neighbours. Somebody might see them there.

"Sir, we can't..." Barbara started. Tommy sealed her lips with another gentle kiss. He also had seen that light but did not care.

"We're in the hidden spot of my garden. _Nobody_ could see us here." he whispered.

He lowered his groin onto Barbara's lap. Finally his manhood in all its glory touched her awaiting private parts.

Barbara gasped. The neighbours were forgotten.

Her whole body burned for him. It was achingly pleasant. She had not intended to end in his garden making love to him when she had been fleeing from her flat those twenty-four hours ago but she was not at all unhappy with the development of this weekend. On the contrary.

Tommy also had gasped when he finally had touched her. Her wetness was so inviting that he had to hold himself back.

He would have loved to straightaway claim her, make them become one forthright, get into heaven in one swift move.

His whole body yearned for their union but he wanted to let it happen in the same drawn-out slowness that had been so fitful to this never ending hot summer's night. When he had come home a bit more than twenty-four hours ago he never would have thought that this weekend would end with him making love to Barbara under open sky. It had been highly improbable. It had been unthinkable. Now it was all so natural.

* * *

><p>His full length softly rubbed across her nub and both shivered with pleasure. Barbara tried hard to breathe silently and she needed to open her mouth to breathe at all. It sounded raspy with excitement but it was like an angels' choir in Tommy's ears.<p>

Her little noisy breathing somehow sharpened her senses again. Still somebody might hear them there.

"Really we can't -" she tried again grabbing his upper arms to steady herself. She was lying on the floor but she felt like the world was turning faster and if she did not hold onto something firm she would fall off.

Her abdomen permanently buzzed in the rhythm of his gentle sweeps.

He kissed the crook of her neck where more little drops of sweat had appeared.

"Are you on contraception?" he whispered, licking the drops away.

"Yes, but..." Barbara tilted her head back to give him more access to kiss her throat.

"Then we can!" he growled low, his desire clinging to every word.

* * *

><p>With those words he took advantage of the changed angle her body was in when she suddenly heaved her hip into his, allowing him to enter. Slow and easy he slid into her. Her wet walls welcomed his hard member and Barbara moaned softly. Her hip automatically moved up more and firmly against his.<p>

An involuntary twitch of her inner muscles spoke different to her tongue.

"Tommy, we shouldn't..." she croaked pressing his head onto her bosom where he was licking all the other sweaty drops from her skin.

With an extremely slow pace he rocked in and out, letting her gasp with every soft thrust he made.

"We already _are_, Barbara!"

His elbows supported his weight but he was as low on her body as he could without smothering her.

He did not want to stop now. She did not either. Both indeed _could_ not anymore.

* * *

><p>"Tom..." she took one last halfhearted shot at interrupting but his name turned into a sigh of contentment. "...mmmmh!"<p>

The convulsions that her inner muscles now were blessing his shaft with let him grow even more. Barbara wrapped her legs around his. Tommy suppressed a groan. This was the most wonderful way someone spoke his name and it was Barbara who did that. It was Barbara who was coming to a climax under him.

Still they were slow and gentle, deep and eased, wrapped around each other entirely, their sweaty wet bodies moving flush, skin glided over skin. Though with her little pre-orgasm he deepened the intensity a little bit and he placed a supportive hand under her lower back.

"Oh, yes." Tommy grunted possessively onto her chin.

Forgotten was the world around them. They only felt and heard and smelled the other. Their bodies were connected where men and women had met since time begun. But time had stopped. The world had stopped turning. The only one moving was their conjoint entity. The fog of feelings thickened. Movements finally went erratic in a very sluggish way, breathing became deeper and heavier and louder.

When Tommy put his hand between their bodies and added his thumb onto her pink button Barbara screwed up her eyes and dug her nails into the flesh of his arms.

She reciprocated every of his still slow, deep thrusts with a pressure of her hips against his. They ground their connection into each other. They were near to their heaven and due to this finally increased their speed.

Barbara needed only a few strong thrusts by Tommy to let herself go completely. The expanding warmth and relaxation of the indiction of an orgasm waved through her before it returned to its center.

"I..." she whispered desperately. "Gawwd..." she then hissed and arched into his body. Nearly every single muscle in her body constricted.

Tommy covered Barbara's mouth with his lips and she heavily sighed into his mouth.

Nobody had heard it but Tommy.

But when her body had shivered in frenzy and the wave of orgasm washed over her it triggered his own. While he came she came again. His muscles strained and he thrusted hard one last time into her cave where he released his hot love.

Now no covering lips held back their simultaneous groans and every neighbour, every backyard cat, every bird and every tree could hear them lustfully moan in unison.

* * *

><p>Totally spent they collapsed. Tommy carefully avoided to crush Barbara and placed himself on the grass next to her. For a while they just held each other tight, touching each others sweaty skin with their whole bodies, letting the flood of satisfaction gently flow over them and slowly subside until the world came back into being and continued its rotation.<p>

"I usually don't have sex on a first date." Barbara whispered with eyes still closed. "And I've never had under open sky."

Tommy watched her face which was beautified with the smug and content smile of a woman whose body had been totally pleased some moments ago. After a while Tommy also began to grin and placed smacking kisses on Barbara's shoulder.

"What?!" she demanded irritated and somehow angry. "Something funny?"

He kissed her fully on the mouth.

"Nothing funny. It's just that it's all but our first date."

He brought some distance between their faces to fully watch hers. He wanted to make a declaration.

Her eyes were merely visible now that she laid on her side, her face away from the light of the torches behind her, so he gently turned her on her back again. The glistening sweat on her skin and the silhouette of her breasts caused him to swallow.

"You are so beautiful."

He traced her curves with his fingertips and observed with pleasure how her nipples yet again peaked into the nightly sky that had started to let fall some soft and warm drops onto their naked, heated bodies.

"You drive me over the edge, Barbara." he said hoarsely and whispered into her ear how she made him furious, how she made him wanting her, how she turned him wild with desire to make love to her again right now.

He breathed on her shoulder. "This was no ordinary sex."

"No." she answered hardly audible her blissful gaze still in the dark sky.

"By all means, this had been the longest, the most extended foreplay I've ever had." he chuckled tenderly with his nose on her chin and his lips on her carotid. He could sense the blood running fast through her veins. "Please stay for the night and have breakfast with me." He wanted her to stay forever.

She had started to breathe heavy again with his lips and fingers on her skin. She was amazed how those simple and light touches aroused her again only minutes after their relief. Even in the dim lights of the candles and the torches he could see her face blush and guessed right what she thought.

"We should repeat it." he moaned, trying to cover her body with his again but she pushed him back.

Thus somewhat woken from the blur of need that had surrounded his mind Tommy suddenly recognised that the occasional drops had turned into some constant summer rain that cooled them down quickly. The hard tips of her breasts were not only signs of arousal - she was feeling cold.

"We should _go in_, Tommy."

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>* Quote from Faustus' declaration of love to Helena, from <em>The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus<em> by Christopher Marlowe. Sorry for using this quote again (see also: Back From Holiday) but it really is beautiful!


	7. Towel

**Author's note: **Alright - everybody cooled off again? :-D Well, the night is still young, isn't it?!

Oh, what I nearly forgot to mention: You - yes, YOU! - forgot to leave a review! I know you've read it, I've seen the stats. And you over there, you don't need to try to vanish. I've seen you. So please, leave some sort of comment. Thank you. And a big THANK YOU! to the four dear ones who already did so. I very much appreciate it.

Here are the next chapters. Enjoy! :-)

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><p><strong>Towel<strong>

* * *

><p>.<p>

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><p>The occasional drops had turned into some constant soft and warm summer rain and if they did not want to have their clothes that layed spread around them soaked with it they had to go in.<p>

Tommy threw the blanket over Barbara who was collecting some of their clothes and shoved the remains of their picnic and the empty boxes into the hamper under the bench. Taking the other clothes and their footwear he shooed her inside. He had decided to leave the candles and the torches to the rain and absolutely naked he followed her into the living room.

She was draping the picnic blanket around her body while he just held his shirt to cover his best part.

He grinned. Barbara grinned back. Then the first chuckles turned into some deliriously happy and heartfelt laughter.

_What a strange situation this is._

Little drops of the rain from their bodies dripped onto the wooden floor and pooled around their feet. With one step Tommy stood in front of Barbara and let his shirt soak up the water on the floor. He took her face in both hands and kissed her lightly.

"What a perfect ending to this dinner." he whispered onto her lips.

"Hell, yes." she breathed onto his cheek when his lips wandered behind her ear.

Tommy felt the goosepimples on her neck. Barbara was shivering slightly and he feared it was not only from his kisses.

" 't was a little refreshing, this rain, wasn't it?" He placed another short kiss on her lips. "Go, take a shower." He turned her to the door and gave her a little smack on her blanket-clad bottom. "There are towels and a bathrobe in the wardrobe in the spare room up next to... ah, you know where it is. I'll take care of our clothes and the champagne and will follow."

_And take your time, I plan on sharing the shower._

* * *

><p>Barbara stood under the shower and let the streaming water warm her up. There was some neutral shower cream so she would not smell like Tommy. It would have distracted her for the rest of the time which she did not know for sure where to spend. Should she go home and not see him until they meet again in the office or should she spend the whole night with him? Or maybe go home and be back for breakfast? Deep in thought she lathered herself.<p>

She recalled his hands on her skin and the warm feeling in her belly returned with her own fingers on her skin. The memory of his hands, this warm feeling inside made the decision for her. She would stay for the night.

Barbara rinsed the soap off and angled for a towel. Dry again she slipped into the soft bathrobe and went into the big spare room opposite his bedroom. She had thought about entering his bedroom when she still was drying herself but she had not dared to do so. She was hesitant to go in even after what just had happened in the garden. And he did not mention an invitation to his room.

So now she stood in the middle of the spare room, looking out of the window onto the streets, drying her hair and thinking about the momentous events of this weekend.

* * *

><p>Tommy had spread the wettest of their clothes over the sofa to dry and - naked like he was - returned into the garden to collect the champagne. Then he went upstairs and put the bottle and the glasses on the night table of his bedroom together with a candle. The rose he had caressed her with he placed onto the pillow. He heard that Barbara had finished her shower but she vanished in the spare room so he quickly showered just to get warm and followed her there.<p>

She stood in the middle of the room in the bathrobe and was slowly drying her hair. She stared out of the window and turned when she heard him enter the room. Tommy had nothing on but a towel, just like yesterday evening when she suddenly had appeared in his house.

Like yesterday evening they adored each other with their looks, feasted on the other one's body, hidden under white terrycloth or not, with their eyes, grazed the other one's skin with lustful stares for more intense moments than would ever be appropriate in public. Like yesterday evening it was an open desire but unlike yesterday they now knew what was hidden under the cloth. They now knew how it felt, how it smelled, how it tasted. They had learned how it moved and how it flowed.

Tommy's eye dived into her cleavage. She still wore the silver chain with the gecko.

Barbara's look raked over his chest and stopped at the small but clearly growing bulge underneath the towel.

They could hear each other breathing.

"You like what you see?" he asked, his voice was thick with desire.

She looked into his eyes again. "Indeed I do." she answered hoarsely.

"You are so beautiful. Did somebody tell you this before?" Both did not move and kept their distance. This only turned up the voltage in the room.

"Actually yes." A faint smile played on her lips.

"Well, apart from me."

There were boys and men who told her but it never had been that way, it had never been said so honest, it had never been told by light, outside the sheets and never without any intention to just please her to be 'pleased' in return.

The silence that filled the room was an answer to his question.

"Actually no."

Tommy saw the hidden hurt in her face. _She didn't deserve that._

"What a shame for us men."

With two long strides he was in front of her, helped her for some moments drying her hair then tossed the towel away and gently kissed her.

"What a shame..." he repeated in a whisper with his lips on hers.

His hands slid from her face to her neck, his thumbs caressed her earlobes, his body pressed into hers. Barbara pulled him close to her with her hands on his hips, giving a little gasp when she felt the bulge under his towel pinching into her.

He opened his lips and Barbara's tongue immediately shot into his mouth. The gentle kiss quickly turned desperate and hot. His hands slid under her bathrobe and shoved it to the edge of her shoulders. Tommy undid the belt and the touch of their chests sent shivers through both. Barbara loosened the towel around his hips and threw it away.

While she kissed his throat, which made him face the ceiling with closed eyes, she hoarsely whispered that yesterday she already had thought about doing this when he had appeared in his living room.

"I've had such naughty thoughts, Tommy." she breathed. "You wouldn't believe it."

Hesitantly she let her fingertips hover across his length. _Wow, this man makes me do things..._

Tommy freed her from the terrycloth which carelessly fell down to their feet and with his teeth on her earlobe he answered that he had sensed what she wanted the previous evening.

"But yes, I really did not believe it. I did not believe in the tension that had sizzled between us."

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><p>They deepened another hot kiss that ended on the bed. Tommy had pushed her backwards until they were next to the bed where he could lay her down. In an instant he was on top of her.<p>

What followed then was absolutely not as tender as their first encounter was.

No tenderness, just urgency. No gentleness, just desperation. No tenderly breathed kisses, just fierce capture of lips. No gentle caresses, just firm clutches of limbs. There were no more soft whispers, just grunted approval. There was no more light breathing, just heavy panting. There were no more silent moans, just loud groans. Soon her hips were pushing up to him in a feverish need to feel him deeper. Soon his groin was thrusting in an accelerated pace into her. Their bodies were clashing loudly against each other. The relief and fulfillment came with a mutual cry of their names and covered in sweat they finally collapsed.

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><p>.<p>

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	8. Champagne and Rose

**Author's note: **Oops... ;-)

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><p><strong>Champagne and Rose<br>**

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Tommy rolled off her body and pretty breathless both stared at the ceiling.<p>

_Bloody hell, he washed over me._ Barbara thought. _And I'm feeling great._

"What was that?" she giggled nervously, still out of breath.

"I'm sorry." Tommy turned onto his side and to her and looked apologetical. "I'm... This was... I got carried away. I didn't mean to... assault you like that. It... Umm... Sorry, I..."

Barbara turned onto her side and to him and pulled the sheet up to her chin. She blushed. The firestorm that had raged a few moments ago was all but _without_ common accord. The room was fully lit and suddenly she felt a little _too_ exposed to his stare. Funny thing that was, shame, after having made unrestricted love with him two times in a row.

"Shut up, Tommy." she whispered hoarsely. "Did it seem to you that I wasn't... umm, that I haven't..."

Barbara blushed even more. She felt entirley beaten up and deeply satisfied.

Tommy slid closer and tugged a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

_She looks so sweet. Red faced, sweaty, tuzzled, tired, shy and incredibly beautiful.  
><em>

"You're amazing, Barbara."

She cuddled close to him and kissed his shoulder.

They laid there on their sides, as close as possible, bodies pressed, legs entwined, arms around the other, noses brushing, exchanging one or the other little tender kiss. She stroked his shoulder in little circles.

"I can't believe it." she thought.

Tommy happily smiled into her hair. "Me neither." he answered. She had said it loud.

"I can't get enough of you!" he whispered.

"I hope so."

Then after a few more kisses she feared "What if?"

"Never!"

"We couldn't get back to normal."

" 't won't happen, Barbara." he murmured onto her lips.

"We can't get back to normal anyway..."

"As if we've ever been..." He kissed her. "But that's ok with me."

"A little voice in my head says we are destroying our friendship."

"No... No, I think we're simply lifting it on a higher level. Our strong, faithful friendship is a strong, faithful basis for _this_."

"Like it was with Helen?"

"That's not fair, Barbara."

Barbara sighed. "Life's not fair, Sir." _Yeah, I shouldn't have said that. _She was so sorry for her words that tears started to spread and water her eyes. "I'm sorry." she choked._  
><em>

"No, no, it will be... it's ok, Barbara." He stroked her cheek and already drowned again in those green pools that reminded him so much of the deep, sunbathed sea at the coast of his homeland.

He sighed too. "If life hands you lemons then make lemonade."

"You stop those bloody quotes! Can't you be serious?" Still with some wetness in her eyes she started to grin again and playfully patted him on his arm. "And I am no lemon!"

In return he started to tickle her merciless until both were laughing. When the joyful outburst had ebbed away they stared into each others eyes. Barbara's hair was messily spread over the pillow and Tommy looked down to her with so much affection in his eyes that she almost cried again.

"This shouldn't feel so right, Tommy." Barbara sighed.

"Why not?" he kissed her sigh away.

"Because dreams never come true." She sighed again.

"Yes, sometimes they do." He kissed her again.

"Not for me."

"Well, I think it was about time for you." Tommy smiled and Barbara melted away. They shared another long and tender kiss.

"So, if I understand aright you've been dreaming about this?" There was a hint of cheekiness in his voice.

She coyly smiled and her cheeks turned a sweet shade of light pink. "Quite some time." she mumbled.

His heart jumped at the sight and her sweet confession. "I had no idea."

"Well, not exactly about _this_ -" Barbara pointed with her chin between them and wiggled her head. "- but you've played some important role."

She blessed him with another shy smile.

"I have to admit I've had flash of thoughts about _this_ -" Tommy mimicked her gesture with his chin. "- in _particular_ but I thought it to be extraordinary inappropriate, my dear Sergeant Havers."

He blessed her with a lovestruck smile.

"Actually it _is_." Barbara moved her hand from his arm to his waist.

"Nah...!" Tommy mimicked her usual intonation and then gently squeezed her hip.

Barbara in return took on his elocution. "Well, you honestly have to admit, Sir, that I am not quite playing in your premier league." Suddenly her face had turned serious again.

"You're far more in my league than some of the brainless blonde breed of the so called _upper_ class I'm born in and I suggest that you get used to playing in this league because it is where you belong." Tommy insisted.

"Sir..." she tried to object. _He still doesn't understand the problem._

He interrupted her. "You belong to me like I to you. Now more than ever before. And I don't care about those bloody differences or what my lot might be bothered about." He vehemently told her that his family already liked her and if Lord Whatsoever or Lady So-and-so might be offended by her presence he would not give a bloody damn. Tommy fervently told her in moving words that he did not care about any differences and she should do alike and if there would emerge any difficulties they would master those _together_.

_Difficulties at work._ she thought. "Come to speak of the office, Sir..."

_That would become a real problem._ he had to admit to himself but this should be handled later.

"We'll keep it to ourselves until we have adjusted to this new situation and until you have promoted. Problem postponed."

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><p>After some moments of silence in which they simply looked at each other he said "We have two options."<p>

"And those would be?" Barbara was slightly confused.

"One is we stay here in the spare room."

" 'n' the other?" Barbara yawned. Exhaustion finally had defeated her.

"The other is we change over to my bedroom. The bed is bigger and softer and-"

"I don't care." Barbara sounded somewhat sleepy but her heart had made a jump. In fact she _did_ care that he invited her into his bedroom. She was not quite sure why this played such an important role for her but it did.

"In the first case I need to get up anyway to get the champagne." Tommy grinned.

"Alright." Barbara got out of bed, wrapping the cover around her, and held out a hand to Tommy. "Let's move over and have a sip of your fancy bubbly, your Highness."

Instead of grabbing her hand Tommy grabbed the sheet she covered herself with and pulled slightly without removing it.

"Barbara." he said with an intensity in his voice that confused her.

Barbara blushed. "Hmm?"

"You don't need to cover yourself... Please." Then he added in a whisper. "I want to see you. Let down this border."

This was so tender that Barbara loosened the grip on the sheets and Tommy pulled it down. His eyes slowly raked over her blushing body with relish but since he did not want to make it too embarassing for her he got up quickly and grabbing her hand he dragged her across the corridor.

"Let's move into the master bedroom." he laughed. _This woman beatifies me._

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><p>Clinking their glasses he was blunt enough to suggest that they could christen every single room in his house.<p>

Barbara choked on her champagne.

"Never mind." Tommy smiled and held the sheets of his own bed open for her. "We don't need to get it done tonight."

Barbara hurried under the blanket to hide herself again. Despite his request she still was a little insecure standing naked in front of his desiring eyes. And to be honest with herself she was not so sure about the last part he had said. A little smug smile stole itself onto her face.

Suddenly Tommy realised the moment. Finally Barbara was in his bed. Lit by a single candle. Naked. Smiling. With a white rose next to her strawberry blonde, sweet quirky-minded head. Obviously pleased with the situation and fully aware of it.

"I love you." He bursted out his declaration when he followed her under the duvet, seeking her closeness, longing to feel her skin on his.

"Tommy!" Barbara answered with a shocked expression. _He shouldn't say that. Not now. Not yet.  
><em>

"But I do. Don't look at me that way or I'll turn on the lights."

_Damn!_ He had imagined saying those three important little words in a much more romantic way and not practically have it blurted out so rude, under the sheets and inbetween some fruity banter. _I'm an idiot._

"I love you, Barbara." He repeated it with a much more romantic and tender voice while he caressed her cheek. He placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I really do." he whispered.

Barbara was quiet. She could not yet bring out those three life-changing little words. _I love you, too._

Tommy could read it in her eyes and kissed her again but feeling exhaustion creeping up his neck he had to suppress a yawn so he suggested to get some sleep. Tomorrow morning they would have to get up very early and go to work again. He put away the champagne glasses, put out the candle and they continued to snuggle close until they eventually fell asleep.

In his bed.

Naked.

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><p>.<p>

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><p>...<p> 


	9. Gone

**Gone**

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><p>.<p>

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><p>She woke to the strange sound of someone softly snoring into her ear.<p>

A very male arm was wrapped around her waist, an equally male leg laid on hers and the warm breath of the man beside her tickled her ear.

_'t was no dream!_ she thought and kept her eyes closed for some more seconds. Then she carefully started to free herself from his limbs.

"Don't leave me." he mumbled onto her shoulder, still half asleep. She managed to escape his sleepy grip and rose to scurry to the toilet.

Outside the windows it was still dark but she did not know what time it was because she did not bother to look on the alarm on his night stand. She had grabbed a T-shirt that had been hanging on the back of a chair near the bed, had pulled it over and simply hurried across the corridor.

_Just in case. Denton needn't see me naked._ Barbara inwardly shuddered. That of all scenarios would be the most embarassing. The dim lights in the corridor still were on and when she returned she stopped and stood in the doorway of his bedroom to fully take in the sight provided by this faint light.

Tommy meanwhile had turned onto his back and laid there with spread limbs, still slightly snoring. One arm was under 'her' pillow and holding it tight, the other partially hang off the bed. One of his legs searched for coolness outside the fine duvet which was pulled down to his hip due to the general warmth of this night. The thin sheet just covered the essential parts in shapes but gave her visual contact to the few dark hairs on his abdomen.

_Oh, what a view._ Barbara swallowed, then shook her head. _Hell, this was some kind of a weekend._

They had spent some quality time together that she never would have dared to think possible. It mostly even did not feel awkward. In fact it felt like heaven. After so many years dancing around and trying to avoid any thoughts or movements in a direction that would have not even closely implied what they both really were feeling, after so many years of denying herself the truth about her affection to Tommy it looked as if something had shifted and everything fell into its place without further help.

_Well, but still with some blushes. After all I... _we_ need to adjust a bit._

But they talked openly. They bantered, they laughed. They made love freely. _Oh, wow, yes..._

They had rushed through every progress of a 'normal' relationship in one weekend.

_The only thing left is a proposal. _Barbara shook her head again to get rid of that ridiculous thought. "Oh, hell, where will this lead us?" she whispered into the room.

Then she wondered if Denton would be around in the morning and find their clothes in the living room.

_And my knickers!_ Barbara blushed at the mere thought of it and decided to collect them. Downstairs she folded the meanwhile dried things and another thought struck her. _I need clean underwear before I get to work tomorrow._

She put on the one from yesterday and her pants, took her handbag and left the house.

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><p>Tommy woke up to the imagination of a closing front door. <em>Or was it real?<em>

He felt the empty space next to him. "Barbara?"

She was gone. Highly irritated Tommy got up. She was not on the loo nor in the spare room nor in the bathroom. When he went downstairs he saw his neatly folded clothes and registered that hers were gone. He also missed her handbag.

Somewhat lost and slightly panicking he stood in the middle of the living room, raking through his hair, turning around several times, wondering what he might have done wrong.

_She's not here. She's left no note. She's gone._ Feeling a hurting sting in his stomach he returned to his bedroom. He could not pick up what might have offended her. He could not imagine what had gone wrong. He slumped on the edge of his bed and sat there for a while, his face in his hands, musing why she left, crumpling the rose.

"Are you okay?" Her worried voice startled him and he looked up more confused than before to see her standing barefoot in the doorframe in an oversized T-shirt, which he recognised to be his own, and her pants, a duffle bag carelessly dropped at her side.

"You were gone..." there was some kind of despair in his voice. Genuine fear shone through his eyes.

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><p>Barbara smiled. <em>As if I ever could...<em> While she got off her pants to get back to bed she told him that she just went to her car to collect something she might need in the morning. Without thinking of it she also got off her knickers.

She had been sure nobody would see her so she had gone barefoot. She had grabbed his keys that he had tossed in the empty fruit bowl on the table in the hall when they had arrived yesterday evening and then she quickly had gone to her car. She had cursed about the fact that she had parked it so far away when she had come here on saturday, when she still was not so sure about it being the right thing to just appear on his doorstep.

Now she was back, indeed very happy about beeing here, and stood in front of Tommy who still sat on the edge of his bed. He had listened first closely then more and more distracted by the sight of her undoing her pants and panties and babbling and going around obviously feeling very much at home in his bedroom.

"Come closer." he croaked and then sliding his arms around her waist he pressed his head into the warmth of her chest. "I really thought you have left."

"Stupid."

Barbara smiled and dishevelled his already sleep-tuzzled hair. "As if I ever could!" In fact it had not been so stupid at all. For a split second she indeed had thought about running away, driving home. But that would not solve problems or those difficulties that laid ahead of them now and it would not undo what had happened and what she surely did not want to be undone anyway. She knew that.

She placed a kiss on the top of his head.

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><p>.<p>

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><p>...<p> 


	10. Her Way

**Author's advise: **One should not read my M-stories in the public lounge of an airport! ^.^

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><p><strong>Her Way<strong>

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Tommy threw away the rose and shoved the shirt higher to place his face on the warm skin under her breasts.<p>

"Get that shirt off." he ordered in a hushed voice. "It's not yours anyway."

She obeyed.

Then she felt his tongue flicking across the peak of her breast.

"Tommy!" She sucked in some air.

He loved to hear her saying his name that way.

His hands now seductively massaged her bum cheeks and his lips and tongue were all over her breasts. Having his arms still around her body his fingers slowly reached between her legs from behind.

"Tommy!" she hissed once more sensing his touch near her center. She had to close her eyes.

"Sh!" he breathed onto the skin under her breast though hearing her hissing his name produced an exceedingly excited feeling in his groin. He wanted to feel her best hidden parts. He wanted to touch her most intimate area.

Her brain tried to hold up a last futile sign of decency but was shoved away by a more intense and much deeper emotion. She wanted to feel him there.

With one hand he gently pulled her leg up and placed her foot onto the bed next to his thigh. He gently caressed her hip with this one hand but Barbara nearly did not recognise it since his other hand was placed on the inner side of her other thigh from behind, dangerously close to the damp that was building where her inner tension was strongest now. Her lids went shut and her lips were pressed tight. Her anticipatingly ragged breathing through her flaring nostrils was audible and invited Tommy to definitely go on. He had seen this face of checked contentment once before.

She had to steady herself. The grip of her hands on his shoulders tightened.

With a slow curiosity he started to explore.

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><p>Barbara held her eyes closed. She would not have seen anything anyway. Her sight would have been blurred because of the magical expedition he did with his fingers.<p>

Tommy kept his fingers for some time at some distance from her softest parts. He just let them caress the sensitive skin where one only just call it her thigh. Barbara felt her inner muscles preparing for what was to come. Every inch of her skin he had caressed had been left burning when he accidentally touched her on an even more intimate part, when he let his fingers deliberately inadvertently brush her outer folds.

He rightly interpreted the sound she had made as an invitation and the first slow stroke he placed on her wettest part elicited a somewhat amazed "Oooh!" from her lungs.

It was not the last sound and it was not the last stroke. His fingers all played independent from each other but still as an ensemble that caressed and teased first at her entrance and then in her most secret cave. The strokes and thrusts he favoured her with were highly elaborated and he increased the efforts with his fingers until she finally cramped around them and moaned.

She pressed her hands into his shoulders and convulsed forward. Her knees buckled and before she would slid down onto the ground Tommy skidded deeper onto the bed so Barbara could place herself in his lap.

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><p>With the feeling of the full length of his excited manhood under her she gave another approving sound. Their lips met when Barbara started shifting in search for more friction and even more closeness. Their tongues fought a playful war and without much effort she let him slide into her. After a few seconds of adjusting they started to gently rock, back and forth, up and down, creating an instinctively controlled rhythm.<p>

His hands laid gently in her back, his fingers were barely touching her spine, only his fingertips hovered slightly across her heated skin. He placed tender kisses onto her front while he allowed her all the space she needed.

_She_ was in control this time. _She alone_ would be the one that dictates how it goes. Sensing this at some point she straightened her body with a self-confidence she had never felt before. She lifted her head, and letting it fall back with pleasure the new angle towards each other allowed them a deeper closeness that brought them even higher.

His face could only reach the soft breasts in front of him, his lips could only reach the hard peaks his tongue was licking. This was _her_ rhythm. This was _her_ pace. A pace slow enough to be tender and heavy enough to build a mutual orgasm.

She was arching back, her hands were clasping his shoulders. She left red scratchmarks there, something she had never done before.

"Aaaah!" She ardently moaned.

His fingers likewise dug into the soft flesh of her hip, pressing her into his groin when he finally shuddered in pleasure and moaned onto the flushed skin of her jugular notch.

After their release Tommy let himself fall back onto the bed. "Gosh!" he whispered.

When he dropped onto his rear side the sudden movement gave her another wave of pleasure. She let go another shuddering moan and he felt another convulsion of her inner muscles. He lifted his hip again and the strokes onto his arousal still inside her let him fulfill her once more.

Their second climax was accompanied by an even louder voicing of her satisfaction, now accompanied by his loud dark groan.

Still a bit aroused but very overexerted Barbara dropped on top of his chest and for a while continued her audibility with some more silent sounds of agreement.

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><p>After a few moments of exhaustion in which both recovered from their double climax Tommy shifted and suggested that they should find a more proper way of sleeping because otherwise they would have much pain in the morning.<p>

Barbara smiled dreamily. "Oh, that'll be inescapable anyway..." but crawled under the duvet nonetheless, searching a position with her head on a pillow and her feet at the foot of the bed. Tommy adored the sight of that satisfied smutty smirk around Barbara's lips.

They still searched the closeness of each other and snuggled tired under the covers.

_She wears me out._ he thought.

"You wear me out, Tommy." she drowsily mumbled.

He gently rearranged Barbara's damp and curly hair out of her face.

"Beautiful." he whispered and kissed her one more time before both fell into a hard-earned sleep.

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><p><strong>Author distributes some icy water. ;-)<br>**


	11. Reviewed

**Author's notes: **In some passages of this chapter I have transformed some reviews from _The View_ into a conversation between the two. Hence the title ;-)

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><p><strong>Reviewed<strong>

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><p>.<p>

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><p>It must have been the unfamiliarity of someone sleeping so close that woke them again some time later. One must have stirred in his sleep that brought them both back to snuggling, murmuring onto lips, mumbling onto skin, whispering into ears, walking with fingers over paths on the other one's body that had not been there before and needed to be researched, leaving traces with gentle hands. Slowly they meandered from sleep into a comfortable state of smooth waking. Tiredly silent they talked.<p>

"Can't you sleep?" she sleepily asked.

"With you by my side? Not at all." he smiled.

"This was some kind of a weekend, wasn't it?"

"The last night must have been one of the hottest nights in London this summer." Tommy showed a very satisfied and very smug grin. "And I don't just mean the weather. When you suddenly stood in my lounge, literally feasting on my half-naked body I was quite fascinated how sizzling and steamy that was. More than in my shower a few moments ago."

He chuckled. "The anticipation was scorching when you were leaning against that tree and watched me."

"I watched you making a show. You knew I was watching, right?"

Tommy nodded and pressed his forehead gently on hers.

"If trees could talk that chestnut tree would have some story to tell. Having such a great view on your bum, it was quivering."

"Well, after that show we both had put on _tonight_ I think he was very glad to have this cold shower of rain."

Silently they snuggled and whispered. Both discovered that they had had a feeling that something had been developing while they had sit on the bench sipping wine and talking.

"But very, and I have to admit _wonderfully_, slow." he breathed onto her lips.

Barbara admitted she had been constantly thinking about how she could tell him how she felt. It had tortured her the entire night. Tommy agreed that there was so much tension throughout the hours and he also had not known how he could confess his feelings for her.

"I could not find the courage, but there definitely was something stirring inside of me what was - then - _absolutely_ inappropriate."

"I'm glad that it finally had triumphed because it is not as inappropriate - now - as you might think." Barbara blushed. It might not be inappropriate anymore, but it still was new and tickling in her belly. "And it's still very stirring indeed."

They shared a few lazy kisses and nearly drifted off to sleep again.

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><p>"I have to admit that I had hoped the second bottle of wine would do its trick for us..." Tommy conceded.<p>

"So you've tried to get me drunk? You naughty one..." Barbara gently pinched the soft flesh on his waist.

Tommy chuckled.

"You know what?" Barbara whispered. "Last night, when you went inside to get this second bottle to get me sloshed-"

"I did _not_ intend to get you sloshed." Tommy pretended to pout.

"Mmmh, I believe that you _tried_. But when I sat there alone on the bench, starin' into the sky, countin' stars, thinkin'..." she smiled. "I had the chance to wish on a shooting star and - unbelievable, but true - it miraculously came true tonight."

They shared another sensual kiss.

"Say," she whispered. "where is that quote from. I remember yesterday you've recitated somethin' unbelievably sweet to me. Was it Shakespeare or what?"

"No. A friend of him. Marlowe." Tommy smiled past her face, obviously remembering something nice. When he was at Eton he joined the drama group and they had given _The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus _by Christopher Marlowe. He told her of it.

"I had played Dr. Faustus, being in love with beautiful Helena. These words were a part of a declaration of love to her." He paused, thought of his words again. "Funny, that those words never before had crossed my mind."

He thought of Helen, as did Barbara, he could see it in her absent and partly worried look. Tommy wanted to distract them from this, wanted to get the topic away from his late wife and so he asked what Barbara had wished on the shooting star.

"You can tell, now that it had come true, like you said."

"Him."

"Who?"

"You." Barbara snickered into his pillow, hiding the little flush of her face though it was too dim to recognise it anyway. She felt so juvenile. _He_ made her feel so juvenile. Juvenile and yet so mature, so very feminine. "Wasn't it obvious?" She softly stroked his neck and shoulder. "I had you so deeply all over my entire brain that this simple word formed in my mind. _'Him!'_ I thought. And yes, it seems that it had worked - I gained _him_."

"I'm becoming envious of _him_."

Barbara smiled and felt herself bathed in another endearing kiss.

"Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips." Tommy whispered with a smile. *

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><p>In fact much had come true this weekend. The lovely open and honest conversation they had had been well overdue. It really needed to take place. Tommy had been getting a better understanding of Barbara when she <em>finally<em> opened up more to him and both had felt a deep relief after _finally_ talking about the elephant in the room, after finally talking openly about Helen and all. Those feelings between them seemed to have been there for a long time and they really had needed to have a heart to heart talk, particularly about these matters.

Now he felt that everything is like it should be, should have become years ago, should have been for a long time. Everything was so at ease and peaceful and Tommy thought with a happy jump from his heart that Barbara seemed to have herself placed in this entirely new situation so easy. He was glad that she had adjusted herself very unabashed and it even appeared to him that she had found some self-confidence that obviously had waited under the surface until someone broke the ice.

_And this weekend was so hot I hadn't needed much strength. She even snickers._

Barbara shyly smiled when she added that, looking back, it was very interesting that this conversation had situated itself amidst all the unsolved sexual tension between them.

"I was nearly bursting when I started to leave."

Tommy tenderly smiled and tickled her earlobe with his fingertips. "Did you feel my lips on your ear? On the stairs to the balcony? I had hoped you wouldn't, I was so scared you wouldn't appreciate it."

Barbara gently stroked his cheek, her thumb softly tracing his lips. "Sure I've felt it, it made me shiver and I definitely had wanted more. Which I finally had received in the hall." He kissed her thumb. "I'm glad I've left after breakfast. Otherwise..." she closed her eyes and kissed him and then whispered on. "...I believe I wouldn't have slept at all."

_Oh, yes, we both wouldn't have slept. You flirt like a teenager only to have it off with me like an adult woman. You devil, you._

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><p>The woman in his arms yawned. Still the little sleep they had gained was not enough. With their activities inbetween it was not enough at all.<p>

"When you've left after breakfast it felt like someone threw a bucket of cooling water over me. I think I very much needed it." Tommy stroked her naked upper arm.

"We both needed it. Though I really had liked to find out _exactly_ what your inappropriate thoughts had been in the end."

"Well, I think you did just that. In the end." His fingers placed little circles on her breast. "I could show you more misbehaviours, if you want."

"Oh, gosh, no... I'm tired, Tommy. We really should get some sleep before morning."

"Sadly that's true. Sleep well again, my inappropriate lady."

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><p><strong>Author thanks<strong> those who wrote these inspiring reviews for _The View_ found in this chapter (in alphabetical order): becx7, Cats070911, Hobsonfan, jan danek 10, LewisHobsonFan, Lira Min, Mobergskan, theamck.

Also thanks to those who just had left a note which is encouraging as well: Utto, vindo009, and all other guests who dared to leave a review or a private message.

Also thanks to all those readers who silently enjoyed.

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><p>* Another quote from this speech, from <em>The Tragicall History of the Life and Death of Doctor Faustus<em> by Christopher Marlowe


	12. Vows and Orders

**Author's notes: **I've warned you already, did I? I really mean it.

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><p><strong>Vows and Orders<strong>

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><p>.<p>

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><p>With his hand fully cupping her breast they soon fell asleep again. But it had not been for long when Barbara awoke again with his fingers increasing their pressure.<p>

Realising she had woken up Tommy laid himself half on top of her and watched her pillow-signed face.

"Could you not sleep, my dear lady?" he quietly asked.

"Not when you're trying to wake me up on purpose, Sire."

His lips caressed her throat and his hands were everywhere else on her body.

"I've had a bad dream and couldn't get back to sleep without solace." he apologized.

"Liar!" she mumbled.

He grinned like a school-boy and continued his caresses.

"We shouldn't..." she halfheartedly objected. "Not again... god, Tommy!"

He loved to elicit his name from her lips. His own mouth meanwhile had found the hardened peaks of her breast.

"We should." he whispered hot-blooded onto her curves. "Again and again and again. For the rest of our lifes. We'll christen every room of this house. We'll christen Howenstow. And I intend to christen the stables as well. The next Lady Asherton will be the Mistress of _every_ single place of the manor. And the lake."

He licked a wet circle onto the tip of her breast.

"You're crazy." she breathed, having a hard time to get herself composed enough to speak with his lips and fingers hovering across her skin.

"I'm crazy for you, my gracious lady."

Then it slowly sunk in and she recognised what he was saying between the lines. _He couldn't mean it._

"Don't be ridiculous, Sir."

"Tommy!" he growled.

"Yeees!" she whinged and rolled her eyes. "TOM-MAY!"

He cruelly started to tickle her in the most tender way.

Laughing she pushed him away but her look was serious.

"Actually, I see my future in the Met, perhaps as a successful DI, not as a..." she waved her hand vaguely through the air, stopped talking and thought about what was going on. If he meant her to be Lady Asherton... "...first that would mean getting..." She bit on her tongue. She was thinking aloud.

_Why couldn't I keep my mouth?!_

"...married. Yes." He finished her sentence, suddenly with a serious expression himself. Again it did not go like he had thought but it was out, partly even initiated by her, and who the hell cared about proper timing?!

"You know, I for myself haven't planned on retiring so soon and as seen in me it very well would work to have it both - be my Lady A _and_ work at the Met."

"That's ridiculous, your Lordship!" Barbara snorted.

"Not at all, Barbara." he propped himself on his elbow and looked her straight in the eye. "We've been dancing around for years, we're close like water to a fish, we know each other inside out, you were there for me in my hardest times, I kind of supported you when you went through yours. We've torn the last walls down..."

He took a deep breath before he continued. "I want to marry you, Barbara. Please accept."

Her mind was screaming yes, her reason told her no and argued why it could not, why it should not, why it would be better if not and why this place and this time was not the way to make or answer a proposal. Her eyes had already answered positive.

"I..." _I must be crazy!_

"Will you marry me? Say yes."

"Yes!" she blurted out. She was shocked. Her reason had not yet finished its serious arguments when her overwhelmed mind had simply pushed it aside and spoke for her. His eyes grew wide and happy and his mouth spanned from ear to ear with a broad smile. _Really, I accepted. I must be mad. This isn't real, is it?_

"Really...!" he choked on his words.

"Yes. Well, I think... yes. Yes." she repeated, gently whispered this time, with a nod as if she needed to convince herself that this is real, full of the love she had for this man. Full of the love she had tried to deny for too long. Full of the love she just recently had discovered to be answered likewise. Full of the love she still was a bit afraid of. And full of the love she had not even declared in words.

He knew he was the luckiest man on earth. They sealed their deal with a gentle kiss.

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><p>"I'll be there for you forever." he vowed to her. "I swear!" He knelt down between her legs and placed kisses on her lips. He supported himself with his arms beside her chest, pinning his fists into the mattress.<p>

She slid her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her, down to her lips. Their tongues knotted together, bonding what had been sealed moments ago with words.

"With every single heartbeat."

Then he began to kiss her everywhere. "By the sun, the moon and all the stars in the sky..."

He placed hot vows on her sweaty skin, mixed with hot-blooded kisses and passionately tender caresses.

"You won't just be my lady, you will be my queen." he vowed a sultry kiss on her belly. "You will be my empress!"

Their former fatigue was gone. The need to sleep was forgotten when his lips finally reached her hot spot, leaving a burning trace on his way across her body.

"Oh, yes! Keep doing that!" She startled at her own sudden fervently moaned words but when he gently nibbled at her pink knob she couldn't help herself and buried her pressing hand in his hair.

"My witch!" he mumbled between her thighs. "I never would have thought that you would be so insatiable."

"It's just..." she whispered with a restrained voice "that I've... never been- ...oh! Oh, my ghhh..." The rest went down in a deeply contented sigh caused by the skilful play of his tongue. Her fingers wrenched the bedsheet.

After he had brought her to her little climax he scooted over her body and back to her mouth. Barbara felt strange tasting herself from his lips and tongue but it was irritatingly good.

The moans and approving sounds Barbara had not held back again plus the _taste_ of her intense pleasure were so arousing for Tommy that he needed just a few strokes of his length across her welcoming wetness before he was so hard and strong that he easily slid into her. With slow deep thrusts fully in and almost fully out he brought them near to another climax. He lowered the pace and held them both on the edge for a while just for sheer prolonged pleasure until Barbara cried out and begged him to claim her.

"Please, Tommy! Get going!"

_God, how she could order my name..._

"Tell me what you want, my empress!" he groaned onto her bosom. One hand was in her back and squeezed her bum cheek, the other hand supported him, kept his chest from crushing her.

"Harder! Now!" She dug her fingers of one hand in his shoulders. Her other hand scratched his bum and pulled him down into her.

"Yes, my love, say it!" he panted just a few millimetres above her left taut peak, steaming it with his breath, making her shiver and cringe. He had to accumulate all his strength to keep himself away from giving up to his own desire straightaway. It was pure pleasurable torture.

"Tommy!" she cried out. "Now!" All her muscles constricted in waves, her tight walls surrounded his hardened member, rhythmically squeezing him.

Barbara had her legs wrapped around his and dug her nails deep into the flesh over his shoulder blade when he finally obeyed her order, thrusted hard into her and let them fall into the abyss of pleasure together.

They made love in the first beginnings of Monday's dawn. Just when the early birds started to sing both reached another depth of lust and the air was filled with their mutual cry of pleasure.

"Oh, Barb!" he shouted out.

"Yes, Tommy! Yes!"

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><p>When the last waves ebbed and they reached the surface of normal breathing again, they exhaustedly fell into another deep sleep at about 4:30 in the morning.<p>

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><p>.<p>

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><p>...<p>

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><p>...<p> 


	13. A very good morning

****Author's notes:** **Somehow I'm sad that the night is over and the sun is up...

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><p><strong>A very good morning<strong>

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><p>.<p>

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><p>She was fighting against the cruel light that shone through the window. She grumbled having those bloody sunbeams playing through a tree, playing on her nose, playing on her eyelids, forcing her to squeeze them shut.<p>

_How could one sleep this way? And what's that sultry scent lingering in the air?_

She deeply inhaled. Slowly the memories came back into her mind. That hand on her breast, that arm on her hip, those fingers between her thighs and this warmth radiating from the body behind her helped her remembering what they did last night. What and how and how often. She wallowed in memories and drowned in that scent that still lingered in his bedroom. The air was thick with the night's love. It was all over the room, all over her pillow and all over the sheets underneath her. The scent of them. The moistness of their desire. The dampness of their love. The essence of their appetite. The whole bedroom was filled with the sweet and intoxicatingly heady, poisonous scent of sex.

Her whole body was aching even if she did not move a single one of her sore muscles. Her head was spinning and it almost felt like the biggest hangover she had in all her life. Almost.

She felt so weak and yet so glorious.

When the fingers between her thighs awoke she sighed.

" 'morn'n', Tommy." she breathed. He loved to hear her sleepy voice breathing his name in the morning.

When the man in her back shifted closer, moved his hand around her to a position between her legs from the front and pressed his awakened groin into her back she moaned again.

" 'mornin', my beautiful, poisonous woman." his sleepy voice mumbled in her ear. She could feel his breath on her hair. She could feel the smile of his lips against her auricle. Only he could make her feel so deeply loved, so much wanted. Only he could make her feel so much being the woman she nearly had forgotten she was.

Suddenly struck with emotions too intense to keep inside Barbara blurted out what she felt deep inside her. Loud and clear she stated the fact.

"I love you, Tommy!"

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><p>He had woken moments ago to a barely noticeable movement against his hands.<p>

The soft flesh of her breast had tilted into his palm. He had not dared to open his eyes nor to move a single muscle. He had felt sore anyway and the inconvenient sunlight that had annoyed him through the open curtains had made him tighten his closed eyes.

Every single fibre of his body was exhausted. He remembered where that came from. How intensely they had explored each other, how deeply they had made love to each other, how determined they had lost themselves in each other. And he remembered that they did all that over and over again the previous night.

He still could smell the sensual poison in the air. He recognised the scent of their lovemaking all over his pillow, all over the sheets, all over that woman in front of him, all over that oh so female body in his hands.

His fingers that were surrounded by her warm thighs slightly twitched their muscles.

Her sigh let his belly cringe with delight. _Oh, she's awake._

Her whispered greeting awoke his desire. How he loved to hear her breathing his name. He moved closer, pressed his desire into her back.

Her moan made him smile when he whispered a morning welcome onto her ear, brushing his lips against her auricle, nuzzling lightly through her hair. Wanting to love her immediately. Wanting to feel whole again with the poisonous woman in his arms.

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><p>Her loud and clear declaration made him stifle for a second. Then Tommy turned her onto her back with a swift movement and covered her body with his, covered her lips with kisses.<p>

Feeling her wetness on his hardness he could not stop himself. Immediately he was inside her.

"Oh, god, Tommy!" Barbara moaned. She was amazed how easy he had made her ready in minutes by barely touching her.

After some few more minutes of short and vigorous exercise they were sweat-covered again. They laid on top of the duvet, watched the ceiling and tried to catch their breath.

"What the hell was _that_?" she asked still panting.

"This, my love, was a sweet little morning glorification." he chuckled breathlessly.

"Tommy, we've just - this was a bloody _quickie_!" Mock angry Barbara slapped his chest with the back of her hand without turning to him.

She laughed and knackered like she was closed her eyes again.

"We should call the day off." Tommy suggested yawning.

"Together? And be the talk of the office?" Barbara's eye lids were as heavy as lead hence she kept them closed.

"Well, one day that would be inevitab- oh, holy crap!" While he had turned to her he had shot a glance at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It already was about ten.

He cursed again.

"I should have set the alarm."

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><p>.<p>

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><p>...<p> 


	14. Ready! Steady! Go!

**Ready! Steady! Go!**

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><p>.<p>

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><p>"Oh, bloody..." Barbara quickly got up and hurried into the bathroom and under the shower. Tommy picked up the rose he had thrown away carelessly some hours ago and followed. His luxurious shower cubicle was big enough for three. He entered and placed a kiss on her shoulder, his hand on her arm and the blossom of the rose on her belly.<p>

"I've been a little too distracted when I went to bed." he smiled. His mind already was gone into the gutter when he had seen her lathering her soft white skin. _The shower needs to be christened soon._ His best part brushed her behind. "I can't help it."

He gently bit her shoulder.

Barbara had to scrape up all possible willpower to not give in, to withstand this time. They really should hurry and quickly show up at the office.

"Behave, Tommy. We should rush now." Barbara wonders why Denton did not wake them.

"Well, ususally he wakes me at around seven thirty if I'm not already up." Tommy said with the water running over his face. "But he never would knock when I've told him to leave me be, to not disturb me, on no account, even if hell freezes over or the Queen would abolish the monarchy."

"That's what you told him?"

"Exactly." Tommy broadly grinned. "He only would have come here if _at minimum_ seven hints might indicate that my life is in the utmost danger." he winked.

Then he sighed. They had finished the shower and there was no more excuse to stay. "Tonight we'll christen the shower!" He whispered into her ear and wrapped her blushing figure in a huge towel.

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><p>After the refreshing body care Tommy learned about the duffle bag she had collected from her car tonight. She had her toiletries and some extra clothes in it. It was her overnight bag, her emergency pack she always kept in her car.<p>

"For situations like this?" he asked with an expression between shock and amusement.

"Bollocks, Sir." Barbara frowned at his insinuations. "It's for those situations when you once more call me to be on duty in ten minutes. When you've had your stuff packed by one of your multiple servants while you calmly shave and think about the weather before you finally decide to get your DS Sidekick informed that I need to be on my way to the outer hebrides in ten minutes. I've come to believe this has turned out to be some kind of sports for y-"

Any more words were stopped by his lips on hers.

"Shut up, Havers, and get dressed. I expect you to be ready in five minutes."

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><p>Standing in his kitchen they quickly downed a cup of coffee and munched a half-toasted bread with butter - Barbara's comment on that had been that it is her usual breakfast so Tommy should get used to it - and then they were ready to leave. Over breakfast they had decided that they would drive in his car since nobody cared if they would arrive together. They had done it before and it always had been equally late for different and harmless reasons. Even Nkata had stopped making fun of that.<p>

Receiving a last kiss from Tommy in the kitchen Barbara wickedly smiled.

"I'm utterly sorry, Sir, and I know you'd not be happy about it but I need to wear this outfit that you fear to be too distracting for you at work, because I only have spare _smalls_ in this duffle bag."

It was a lie. He knew it and he had a jubilant but wolfish expression on his face. He gave her a last fervent kiss next to the fruit bowl on the table in the corridor.

"You're a bad liar, Miss Havers. And I'll spend the rest of the day thinking of an adequate punishment. Await the verdict in the early evening."

Barbara smiled back. She would like to tease him the whole day. Joy was dancing in her eyes and Tommy had a vague idea who had put it there. He knew _for_ _sure_ who it was that had set his own world in a happy fire that would be hard to quench.

"We're not rushing things, are we?" she earnestly asked, the happiness never leaving her eyes.

"Not at all." Tommy laughed.

No one would call the events of these two nights 'rushing', would one? Well, the two had talked about everything important, they had a first proper date, they had declared their love, they had made love. He had proposed, she had accepted. And all this in less than forty hours. No one could come up with the idea this would be _rushing things_.

It simply was about time.

Barbara stood on tiptoe and placed a last kiss on his lips. Then she whirled around and nearly danced out of his door.

"C'mon, Sir, I'm sure somewhere there is a body for us, waiting to be 'interrogated'." She laughed.

Tommy shook his head and followed her with a broad grin.

_This is going to be some kind of a day...!_

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><p>.<p>

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><p>...<p> 


	15. And in the end

**Author's note: **Yes, this is the last chapter.

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><p><strong>And in the end<strong>

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><p>.<p>

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><p>Together and still very sleepy and really <em>horribly<em> late Tommy and Barbara arrived at the office.

DC Nkata looked up from his computer with a quizzical expression. DS Havers headed straight to her desk and turned on her workstation.

" 'morn', Winnie." she mumbled and yawned.

"Good morning, Nkata." DI Lynley nodded towards the DC. "Barbara, half an hour, in my office, agreed?" he smiled at her, knowing that he would be locking the doors once she was inside.

"Yep." She smiled back at him, knowing that they would not talk about a case or similar boring things.

On the way to his office passing Nkata's desk Lynley stifled a yawn.

Winston looked at both with their tired eyes and their weary appearance and laughed. He was in a very good mood this morning and decided it was time to poke fun at them again.

"We're a little knackered, aren't we? If I wouldn't know better I'd say you two look like you've stayed up and spent the whole night together."

Barbara, distracted by an urgent note she was reading, answered without thinking. "Mh-hmm. Umm... that's what we did."

"Oh, a new case? Why haven't you called me?" Obviously Winston did not take it serious.

Tommy stopped before he had reached the door to his office and turned on his heel.

Barbara looked at Winston in shock. She realised only in that moment what she had said out lout.

_Hadn't we agreed we'll keep it in secret for a while?_ Tommy looked slightly irritated.

He exchanged a quick glance with Barbara who had turned pink and apologised with her eyes.

She had said it straight forward without any preamble. Now she had revealed their sweet little secret. And now that it was said Tommy thought it better to be one step ahead of the official reprimanding machinery.

He turned back to the exit. "I'll get Hillier informed."

Barbara cried: "No!"

Winston wondered why Hillier should not be informed about the new case. He still had no clue.

Tommy did not stop in his tracks.

"Please! Wait!" Barbara craved. "Tommy!"

Tommy stopped and turned.

"No turning back now, Barbara. It's official now."

They stared at each other exchanging a silent conversation.

_I'm afraid._ Barbara thought.

_We'll go through this together._ Tommy thought.

The despair in Barbara's voice had made DC Nkata rethink of the recent conversation.

He looked from Barbara to Tommy and back to Barbara again. He recognised her feminine outfit and he saw that her hair was damp. He saw the looks they exchanged and literally could hear a conversation. He saw that _his_ hair was damp likewise.

_Both obviously had showered. They're not looking like they come in from a crime scene. They've _hurried_ into the office. After a shower without time to blow-dry their hair. Both. _

His mind was running.

_And she had called him _Tommy_!_ he thought highly irritated. _Did they...?! Obviously they did...!  
><em>

"We've worked it out, Winnie." Barbara flatly said. "Everything."

And then it finally dawned him.

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><p>...<p>

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><p>Three seconds later Tommy and Barbara had exchanged a short and sweet kiss in front of the Constable's wide open eyes.<p>

It was about time. They could not care less about being in public. In fact it felt great. Everything was like it should have become a long time ago.

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><p>Three minutes later Barbara had told the - <em>very<em> - short version of their weekend. Tommy squeezed her shoulders.

"It was about time!" He grinned broadly. "Though time had played a _decidedly_ minor role in those two days."

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><p>Three hours later, after Hillier got informed, the three sat in the pub celebrating. They raised their pints.<p>

"It was about time!" Winston drank a toast to the couple. "You both have become quite edgy recently and really _needed_ to solve your 'case'."

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><p>Three days later Tommy informed his mother. She was not overly surprised.<p>

"It was about time!" Daze laughed via telephone. "When will you marry? I _know_ you've already asked her, Tommy!"

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><p>Three weeks later Barbara got promoted. It had been an unexpectedly easy exam.<p>

"It was about time!" Tommy smiled at her lovingly. "And you've been ready for this for quite a while now, my love. I'm _entirely_ proud of you."

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><p>Three months later they had solved their first cases with their new teams. Both teams had cooperated very close. In fact they still had worked as partners.<p>

"It was about time!" Hillier said after closing both files. "And you've proved well that this cooperation _could_ and _should_ go on."

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><p>Three years later DI Lynley and DCI Lynley announced the birth of their daughter Rosemary. It had been hard labour.<p>

"It was about time!" Barbara exhaustedly looked at Tommy. "She truly could have copied her brother Anthony and be twelve days _early_, couldn't she?"

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><p>.<p>

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><p>FIN<p>

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><p>.<p>

**Author's note:** If you enjoyed this story (and I dearly hope you did) then please leave a comment or review. Like I said before: Feedback means so much for a writer and I am no exception!

**Thank you!**


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